Control
by rukia-neesan
Summary: He wants to destroy the king. And to do that, he must destroy her as well. Slight Ichiruki, dark Hichiruki.
1. Chapter 1

-sighs- Now what have I gotten myself into?

Well, in honor of dear Rukia's birthday, I wanted to write something. So I got together with my sister... and this is what resulted from that plotting session. It's kind of a sequel to Beautiful, but I still like that as a stand-alone story, so here we are with my new chapter fic, Control. Rating is for safety-there'll be violence, and a bit of sensuality. Setting is pre-Hueco Mundo, so minor spoilers through the Arrancar arc. And sadly, the only Bleach I own is the several hundred dollars' worth of manga, DVDs, figurines, posters, cards, keychains, and videogames that take up my entire paycheck most months.

Please, someone hurt me if I try this again.

xx

Rukia is fighting for her life.

She isn't quite sure what happened. All she knows is that one minute she was leaning over Ichigo, beginning to heal his wounds... and the next, she was flying through the air, blood splashing the pavement from a shallow cut across her shoulder. Angry, she had turned to see what had managed to sneak up on them, but anger was doused in a wash of cold fear when she saw what had been the cause of her injury.

Ichigo was no longer lying on the ground. He was standing, and turning toward her, and his eyes were black and yellow and _empty_. And as she saw him smirk, she realized what must have happened.

The hollow who had taken Ichigo's place licked his lips, smiling at her reaction.

"Nice to meet you, dear Rukia-chan."

He pointed his sword at her, and the bandage on the hilt began to wind itself around his arm.

"Care to dance?"

xx

The hollow feels _alive_, for the first time in a long time. He flicks his tongue-_no, not _his _tongue, this body still belongs to the King, at least for the time being-_out of their mouth, tasting the sweet night air. He can feel the blood flowing through their veins, the breath rushing into their lungs, and it feels _good_. For a moment, he just stands there in the street, relishing the fact that he is now, finally, in control.

A flicker of movement catches his attention, and he turns to see the girl, the King's precious Rukia, drawing her sword as her eyes grow cold. "_You_," she hisses. "What have you done with him?"

He says nothing, just smiles at her. Her eyes narrow. "Ichigo!" she yells. "Ichigo, I know you can hear me, so fight back! I _know _you can defeat him!"

The hollow sneers. "Sorry, Rukia-chan. 'Ichigo' isn't in right now. Can I take a message?"

The girl in front of him opens her mouth to respond, but he beats her to it.

"Bankai."

xx

Rukia stills, taking a deep breath as she tries to conceal the fear she feels for Ichigo. _For, not of. She will never fear Ichigo, she trusts him too much for that. _But as she looks up at him, at the thin black blade he now bears, she cannot control the fear that she may not be able to stop this hollow. He is strong, strong enough to defeat even her Nii-sama, and Rukia knows that she is not nearly as strong as Byakuya. The only way she can hope to win is to use her knowledge of Ichigo to try and weaken the hollow's control.

_I can do this, _she thinks._ I have to... for Ichigo's sake_.

So she raises her sword, and prepares for battle.

She blinks, and suddenly the hollow has disappeared from in front of her. She spins to meet his blade as he jumps toward her from the left, and the force of his blow drives her backward. She jumps aside, parrying his blows, unable to do more than block as he presses his advantage.

As she jumps backward, attempting to get out of his range long enough for her to regain her breath, her foot hits the curb on the side of the street and she stumbles. Grinning madly, Ichigo-_no, it's not him, Ichigo would never do anything like this, you must remember that!-_sweeps his sword toward her throat. Rukia manages to duck, but the sword slices a shallow cut across her right cheek. She hits the ground, barely rolling out from under him before the tip of his sword hits the ground where her left arm had been a moment before. Panicked, she shoves her hand toward his chest, palm out, and yells.

"Hadou no san-juu-san, soukatsui!"

The force of her kidou drives him back, and she uses the moment of distraction to scramble to her feet. Turning, she runs from him, trying to find a position where she can defend herself properly.

She hears a whisper of sound behind her and spins, holding up Shirayuki to block an oncoming attack... and finds that the street before her is empty. Ichigo is gone.

Before she can react, an arm snakes around her neck.

"Found you, Rukia-chan."

xx

...I can't believe that took me about six hours to write. Hopefully, the next chapter (and a better rewrite of this one) will be up by the end of the week. Complaints? Comments? Send me a review. Thanks for reading, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who finds dear Hichigo so intriguing. (And hot.)

See you later!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated this before now! I can only plead work, lack of sleep, car problems, laziness, writer's block, and the computer with all my info/plotlines/reference materials dying unexpectedly. (And it didn't help that Ichigo and Rukia haven't seen each other for several months' worth of manga chapters...) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this, your wonderful compliments never fail to make me smile. (Also thank you to those who have favorited/alerted this, I know how hard it is to review sometimes!)

And now, FINALLY, on to the next chapter!

xx

She hears a whisper of sound behind her and spins, holding up Shirayuki to block an oncoming attack... and finds that the street before her is empty. Ichigo is gone.

Before she can react, an arm snakes around her neck.

"Found you, Rukia-chan."

xx

Rukia reacts instinctively, shoving her elbow into his gut as she lunges to the side in an attempt to escape his hold on her neck. He hisses in pain, but his grip tightens around her and he turns, blocking her movement.

"Now, Rukia-chan, that wasn't nice at _all_. I go through all that trouble to see you like this, and you just try to run away from me?" He leans closer to her, and she suppresses a shudder of revulsion. "You're hurting my feelings."

"Ichigo!" she calls, still trying to get him to hear her, to fight back against the hollow that has taken him over, but her only response is a mocking laugh.

"He can't hear you at the moment, Rukia-chan. That unfortunate blow to the head seems to have taken him out." He reaches around with his other arm, twisting Shirayuki out of Rukia's grasp and tossing the sword carelessly aside, then dropping Zangetsu to the ground beside him. "It looks like it's just you and me right now, so why don't we make the most of it?"

"Scum," Rukia whispers, considering her position. The hollow has the advantage in this situation; he's much stronger than she is, and obviously not afraid of hurting her. If she's going to get away from him, she'll have to rely on surprise and skill. Closing her eyes, she pulls her carefully-honed Kuchiki mask over her features, feeling her inner self calm in response. She blocks out her emotions, ignores the pain of her injuries, tries to forget the fact that she is currently at the mercy of a sadistic monster whose entire purpose in life is to cause misery. It's difficult, but she is used to it by now; as a shinigami and Kuchiki, she is well-versed in the art of not feeling.

_Think. You can do this. You can defeat him, save him. You just need to calm down and think of a plan._

xx

The hollow looks down at the small girl in his arms, frowning. When he first grabbed her, he'd felt the fear coursing through her body, and it had tasted _sweet_. But now, he can feel that fear leaving her, her glacial calm returning. As if she is in control of the situation.

He hates it when someone else is in control.

Well then, he'll just have to change that. And he knows exactly how to catch her off guard.

xx

Rukia is still worried, still afraid for Ichigo, but she forces her emotions into the back of her mind. Just as she had when Ichigo had been lying in the rain, blood soaking into the cement.

Just as she had after she had killed Kaien-dono.

She bites her lip hard, the parallels between then and now welling up in her mind like blood from an open wound. _Don't think about that, _she thinks_. Don't lose it. Don't..._

_This time, you won't kill him. You will save him. You _have _to._

Forcing her thoughts back to the present, she begins to plan. If she can step on his foot at the same time as she shoves her thumb into his wrist, it might distract him long enough for her to slip out from under his arm...

A voice behind her cuts through her concentration. "Something wrong, Rukia-chan? I thought you were trying to convince me to back off and let your precious 'Ichigo' out... or have you given up on that?"

She feels his hot breath on the back of her neck as he leans closer and whispers, "Good choice."

Anger begins to rise within her, but she shoves it down. She mustn't fall for his taunting, that will just give him what he wants.

"I knew you wanted me."

She has to ignore him.

"Good thing the feeling's mutual, then."

And she gasps as she feels him lean into her body, sliding his other arm around her waist and caressing her chest with long, cold fingers. She has to remain in control of her emotions...

She feels his teeth close gently on her earlobe, and panic floods her mind as he begins to suck lightly on her skin. Her mask trembles, then shatters, and everything she has been keeping back rushes to the front. Pain. _Fear_. She jerks sideways in his grip, breath coming quickly as she renews her struggles to escape. Behind her, she hears mocking laughter.

"What's wrong, Rukia-chan? Didn't you like that?"

"_Kisama_," she hisses, trying desperately to wrench herself free, but his arms tighten around her and she can't move and she can't _breathe_. She gasps for air, her efforts slowing as she concentrates on maintaining consciousness. _You have to stay awake, you have to escape, you have to save him! _But she doesn't see any way out of this situation, other than going along with the hollow and waiting for the chance to overpower him. Making up her mind, she goes limp in his arms.

His grip loosens slightly. "That's better," he says, his voice smug. She begins to cough, breathing raggedly through her bruised throat. "I'm sure that the King wouldn't like it if I had to hurt you, would he?"

Rukia glares, the defiant gesture reassuring her even though she knows he cannot see it. She wants to argue with him, to yell at him, but she knows that defiance has gotten her nowhere so far. Closing her eyes, she forces herself once again to ignore the hollow's presence. _Ichigo. I have to win this... I have to save him. _She continues to take jagged, shallow breaths, trying to fool the hollow into thinking she has been weakened by his attack. After all, Ichigo is terrible at sensing reiatsu...

_This isn't Ichigo. _Never _forget that._

xx

The hollow smirks, pleased with the girl's reaction. He has watched her for months, studying her weaknesses, because he knows that she is _his _weakness. By now, he is sure he knows her even better than _he _does.

And he plans to use that knowledge to destroy _him_.

He idly strokes the skin of her throat with his left thumb, enjoying the feel of her trembling against him as she struggles for breath. This is all well and good, but it just isn't _enough_. He can feel the King stirring within him, beginning to awaken, and he wants his next move to be noticed. He wants to hear them both scream.

xx

Rukia is waiting to see what the hollow will do next, trying to prepare herself to exploit any opportunity he might give her, trying not to let her fear of what he is capable of cloud her thoughts. She is alert for any sound, any movement that might betray his intentions to her and allow her to form a plan of attack.

And then, behind her, she hears a rustle of fabric as he shifts position. _Wait for it... _she tells herself, trying not to give herself away too soon. Carefully keeping her breathing steady and her body limp, she prepares to block his attack.

He bends his head _(no, Ichigo's head) _toward her, and she expects him to whisper in her ear again, using well-chosen words to throw her off guard and make her vulnerable.

She is completely unprepared for him to turn her head to the side, leaning in and slowly, gently licking the blood from the cut on her cheek.

The feeling of his tongue on her cheek is so alien, so wrong, so... _sensual_. She gasps, her body stiffening involuntarily as the hollow lets out a low moan.

"You taste so good, Rukia-chan..."

The tongue traces the line of her jaw, then trails down her throat as her eyes dilate with fear and something else she refuses to name. His hand trails along the cloth at her waist, and she can feel it even after it passes, his touch lingering and burning like acid. Her knees buckle, and the only thing holding her up now is him, and even though she knows this isn't Ichigo she can't help but imagine _his _hands on her waist. The hollow is no longer the only one breathing hard.

But just as she begins to lose herself in the sensation of touch, she feels a sharp pain on her shoulder. She gasps, flinching away from him as he removes his teeth from her arm _(When did he bare her shoulder? She can't remember) _and begins to lick the drops of blood seeping from her torn skin, the prior cut now surrounded by the marks he has just left upon her.

"So good... We love the taste of your blood, Rukia-chan."

Rukia's heart plummets at his words. She turns as far as she can toward him, heart pounding. "We?" she whispers, hating how weak her voice sounds. The hollow laughs, high-pitched and cold.

"Yes, we. Your dear King has awoken, Rukia-chan. He's calling for you... I wish you could hear him. He sounds quite frantic." The hollow leans closer to her ear. "He doesn't want to like it, the blood, the fighting, but he cannot help how he is made." He laughs again, licking his lips. "He wants you..."

Anger begins to rise within her once again, and this time she doesn't stop it. She knows what to do. She gathers in her emotions (anger, fear, hatred, that awful _wanting_), using them to fuel her strength. She takes a deep breath, and strikes.

"Liar!" Rukia yells, reaching back and grabbing his hand, forcing it off her neck and digging her thumbs into the tender flesh of his wrist. Surprised, he jerks his hand away, and she takes advantage of his distraction to aim her elbow at his solar plexus. This time, she succeeds; the hollow drops, gasping for breath, and she rips herself free from his other arm. Darting to the side, she grabs Shirayuki from the ground where the hollow had thrown it and takes her stance, holding her sword ready. _I will save you, Ichigo._

_I _will_ save you._

xx

Aaaaand it's done! Wow, I was actually expecting to finish the fight in this chapter... so much for planning things out. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up before two months have passed this time. (blushes ashamedly) As always, your comments are appreciated (and will be read over and over again if I start getting writer's block again). See you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

I have some advice: Never ever work the toys department at Walmart in the middle of pool season and expect to have a brain when you get home. It just doesn't work. At least it's not as bad as Christmas...

This chapter is dedicated to my very own Ichigo. She turns 18 today, so to celebrate her entrance into the world of adulthood (and legal age for all sorts of... interesting... stuff), I have given her this chapter as a gift. And no, it's not smut. Yet...

(She is laughing maniacally in the background... plotting... things. I am too afraid to ask what.)

xx

"Liar!" Rukia yells, reaching back and grabbing his hand, forcing it off her neck and digging her thumbs into the tender flesh of his wrist. Surprised, he jerks his hand away, and she takes advantage of his distraction to aim her elbow at his solar plexus. This time, she succeeds; the hollow drops, gasping for breath, and she rips herself free from his other arm. Darting to the side, she grabs Shirayuki from the ground where the hollow had thrown it and takes her stance, holding her sword ready._ I will save you, Ichigo._

_I _will _save you._

xx

It's dark.

Ichigo awakens slowly, his mind fogged and movements slow. He sits up carefully, one hand supporting his body, the other holding his head as pain lances through it. Biting his lip, he searches his mind, trying to remember what happened. He remembers coming home from school, doing his history homework in his room, eating _omuraisu _with Karin and Yuzu and Rukia...

_Rukia_.

What happened with Rukia?

He closes his eyes, straining to remember, then jumps as he hears a voice behind him. Wincing in renewed pain, he stands carefully and turns to face the person who is speaking. His gaze travels up the long, tattered cloak, coming to rest on an all-too-familiar face, perceptive eyes hidden behind dark lenses.

"So, you've finally awakened, Ichigo."

His eyes narrow briefly in recognition. "_Ossan_," he says.

The old man standing before him nods in acknowledgment, then looks down, concern on his features. "Have you remembered yet, Ichigo?"

Ichigo stares at him, beginning to feel slightly afraid. "Remembered... what?" he asks, glancing around at his surroundings. The inside of his mind looks the same as always, the sideways buildings and the falling clouds. But as he looks around, he can't help the growing feeling that something is out of place.

And then he notices that the clouds are growing black, and red lightning is beginning to play around their edges. And he realizes what is missing.

"Where... is the hollow?" he asks, turning back to Zangetsu. But the old man is gone as if he had never been there.

Ichigo mutters something about "stupid, mysterious, vanishing old geezers" as he looks back at the sky. The clouds are darker now, the lightning stronger. As he gazes at them, a fleeting memory flashes across his senses.

_Rukia raises her sword as the hollow roars in pain, and she smirks as it begins to charge. Her lips move as she begins to speak her command phrase._

_"Mae, Sode no Shirayuki!"_

The memory is gone as quickly as it came, leaving behind a sensation of something important that he has forgotten. He squints, searching his mind for something-anything-else that can help him figure out what has happened.

_Rukia yells at him, but he doesn't catch the words as the Arrancar's arm catches him, and he sees the pavement spin past as he falls. His head hits the curb..._

Ichigo clutches at his hair. The memory is close, so close he can almost see it, but it just won't come. He growls in frustration, dropping to his knees and pounding his fist on the window beneath him. And then he stops, an idea coming to him.

_This is _my _mind. I just have to look for what I need._

Leaning forward, he peers in the window he was attacking. A picture forms: He is in the park with Karin and Yuzu, pushing the girls on the swings. He can't be more than twelve years old.

He turns away, excited at this success. All he has to do now is find the right window, and it should show him all he needs to see.

He jumps off the building, heading toward a building that looks familiar. He remembers the flagpole on this one; Zangetsu was standing on it the first time they met. Hopefully, it will be closer to the present, closer to the memory he needs.

He reaches the flagpole and looks into the closest window. Sure enough, the memory here is fairly recent: He is sitting in class, and Rukia is there as well, doodling in her sketchbook and ignoring Ochi-sensei. Grinning, he starts to head to a window several feet away, but a quiet sound behind him makes him stop in his tracks.

_"-go!"_

He turns, frowning in confusion as he heads toward the voice. It sounds like...

_"Ichigo!"_

Rukia's voice is growing louder as he reaches the edge of the building. He catches a glimpse of movement to the side, and looks over.

And he gasps in horror at what he sees.

On the vertical ground beside him is the mirrored pool that he remembers from his first sojurn into this world. Back then, as he had been falling toward it, the pool had only reflected the sky. Now, things have changed, presenting a view that makes his heart drop, as if he once again plummets to his destruction.

The picture on the water shows Rukia standing on a deserted street, and Ichigo with his arms around her. As he watches, the Ichigo in the picture slides his hand across Rukia's stomach, leaning in to gently bite her ear. And Rukia flinches away, fear in her eyes as the not-Ichigo begins to laugh.

His eyes are dark, with yellow irises, and Ichigo realizes why the hollow is no longer in his mind.

The hollow is in his _body_.

xx

The hollow can feel the King much more strongly now, testing the barriers that have been set in place against his return. But the hollow is determined that the King will not break free. At least not until it's too late.

Smiling in anticipation, he turns his attention back to the girl. Now that the King is awake, it is time for him to break her. Because once he has done that, the King will never be able to regain control.

He brings up his sword, and prepares his attack.

xx

Ichigo runs toward the pool, pictures playing across its surface like an enormous movie screen. Rukia, hissing words of defiance at the hollow. Rukia, gasping for air. Rukia, who is in danger, once again, because Ichigo was too weak to save her.

Just like before, when all he could do was lie in the rain and watch her walk calmly to her death for him.

But he is determined that this time, things will turn out different. This time, he'll be able to save her.

He _has _to save her.

Ichigo reaches the pool, the pictures within so close and so lifelike that he feels as if he can reach out and touch them. But when he tries, his hand meets a stinging, shimmering wall that blocks the way back to reality. Instinctively, Ichigo knows that this is the hollow's doing. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself, then pulls his sword and stabs it into the wall.

_He turns her head to the side, leaning in and slowly, gently licking the blood from the cut on her cheek. Her body stiffens as he lets out a low moan..._

Ichigo gasps and yanks Zangetsu out of the wall, breathing raggedly as his mind frantically attempts to process what he has just experienced. The feelings of her body pressed against his, her breath against his arm, her blood on his tongue, all crash across him like waves. For a moment, he sees the girl as the hollow does; not as a constant friend and companion, but as a tool, a toy to be used for his own amusement. To the hollow, she is just the means to an end, the key to finally defeating the King once and for all.

Ichigo drops to his knees, struggling to regain his sense of self as the alien thoughts and feelings fade, leaving behind only a faint, lingering hunger and the taste of blood.

Pulling himself back together, Ichigo stands and prepares himself to fight. The hollow's trap has only strengthened his resolve to save Rukia, just as he saved her from the Soukyoku. Gathering his energy, he lashes out against the barrier, screaming her name like a battle cry.

_"Rukia!"_

xx

I think the voices in my head have already written this story and are now dictating it to me, because none of this is turning out how I expected it to. I just wish I knew what they were planning next... I'm almost afraid to ask...

Well, here's hoping they'll let me update again sooner this time.

(Note: This fic is 99 Ichigo-approved.)


	4. Chapter 4

My sister has informed me that since she is writing a story for me, I will have to update this one much more often than I have been. So, since the last chapter was for my own Ichigo's birthday, this one is for the real Ichigo's birthday! Satisfied, imouto-kun? (Although somehow I doubt Ichigo will like this present as much as mine liked hers...)

And it still isn't smut.

Anyway, onward to the angst.

xx

Smiling in anticipation, the hollow turns his attention back to the girl. Now that the King is awake, it is time to break her. Because once he has done that, the King will _never _be able to regain control.

He brings up his sword, and prepares his attack.

xx

Rukia curses silently as his blade meets hers once again, the impact forcing her backward a few more inches. Her breathing is still shaky and rasping from the earlier attack, exhaustion causing her vision to waver as she glares up at the smirk that flashes across his familiar features. He presses his sword-and himself-closer to her body, and her wrists burn as she holds Shirayuki in place, a barrier between herself and the man standing before her. She knows that if her grip falters, his blade will push hers out of the way and mark her flesh once again.

He gives her sword one last shove, knocking her off balance as he backs off, his unnatural laugh echoing through the night as she stumbles against the curb. Catching herself before she falls and hits the cracked asphalt, she readjusts her grip on the pure white hilt and braces for his next assault, her mind racing.

The hollow is strong. There is no denying his power, his abilities, the reiatsu that makes her feel smaller and more insignificant than she has ever felt before. His strength is beyond anything she has experienced, and she instinctively knows that neither she nor Ichigo will be able to defeat it. Their only chance will be to strike together, to push their teamwork to its limits and take advantage of any weakness the hollow may reveal.

Rukia bites her lip, forcing herself to focus. Thanks to the hollow's earlier taunts, she knows that Ichigo is watching this battle. And she knows there has to be a way to get through to him.

The hollow vanishes from before her again, but this time she is ready to meet him as he reappears behind her. Spinning, she unleashes the bakudou she has been preparing. The hollow has no time to dodge; the spell hits him and he freezes in place, sword held out before him as his attack is halted before it can begin. She knows the respite will only be temporary, but she hopes to use the small window of time she has created to give Ichigo a chance to regain control.

The hollow leers down at her as she approaches him. "You know, Rukia-chan, you didn't have to do this to get close to me. All you needed to do was ask..."

Rukia ignores him, moving closer until she is less than an arm's length from Ichigo's body. Pushing his sword aside, then sheathing her own, she leans in and takes his face in her trembling hands. She looks directly into his eyes, searching them for a trace of the boy she knows and...

Loves?

The realization hits her suddenly, as she stands before him with their bodies almost touching, and her lips part in a silent gasp. Somewhere within her, she knows that she has loved Ichigo for a long time, but has refused to let herself see this until now. Now, as he fights an enemy no one had foreseen, all because he had loved her enough to give his life for her. Now, as she stands here, holding him, almost close enough for her to...

But the other thought that she has kept buried in her soul for so long, that he is once again fighting for his life because of _her_, comes to the forefront of her mind now, insidious and sickening. She hears an inner voice, the same one that speaks to her of Shiba Kaien in her darker moments, whispering that she could once again be responsible for the death of the person she loves most. Tears beginning to prick at her eyes, she takes a deep breath and forces the voice and the thoughts back again, knowing that now is not the time for weakness.

She blinks the tears away, then looks back into the hollow's black-and-yellow eyes, willing herself to see past them to the soul she knows is still there. Her hands pull his head down slightly, and she stretches to close the gap between them to mere centimeters, her lips not quite touching his as she speaks his name.

_"Ichigo."_

xx

The hollow is not worried. The binding she has put upon him will not last for long, he knows, and once it dissolves she will be unable to block his next attack. He smiles in anticipation of feeling her blood on his sword, hearing the King scream her name as she falls at his feet.

The smile falters as she steps closer to him, her eyes unafraid. Damn her, doesn't she know when she is defeated? He wants to see her realize that she cannot win, to see those violet eyes drowning in despair. Anger furrowing his brow in an unconscious echo of the King, he prepares to snap the bonds holding him and lash out against the girl before him, who dares to think she has a chance of success. She will _never _be able to force him to give up control of this body. He has won the right to it with blade and blood, and he will not tolerate any attempts to take it away from him again.

And then she moves closer, and she leans toward them, and she speaks _his _name.

The effect is instantaneous. Emotions the hollow is barely familiar with rush into his mind-fear for _her _life, trust in _her _abilities, and, above all, the overpowering need to protect _her _from harm, to defeat anything and anyone who dares to hurt _her_. The feelings come from somewhere deep within him, so deep he is suddenly unsure of who he is. For a moment, he sees her as the King must; she is the person he cares for more than any other, the one who gave him the ability to protect. The one who changed his world.

Gasping, he wrenches his thoughts away from her, swearing silently. He should have realized when he had set this trap for the King that it could work both ways.

He clears his mind, rage building as he realizes she is still standing there holding him, still unafraid of what he might do to her when he defeats her bakudou, freeing the body he has taken. He wants to break her, to taste her blood, to stand over her and laugh as she screams. Merely killing her is no longer enough; he wants to _destroy _her.

Narrowing his eyes, he gathers his reiatsu and prepares to lash out against the power holding him in place, feeling the King doing the same thing somewhere in the back of their mind. For the first time, he begins to worry that this takeover may not work as well as he thought it would. If he doesn't finish this confrontation quickly, the King might be able to regain control, and all of the hollow's careful planning will have been for nothing.

And then he stops for a moment, his smile returning slowly.

There is more than one way to end a battle. And more than one way to break someone.

xx

Do you have any idea how hard it is to write this sort of story with a nine-year-old trying to look over your shoulder?

...

...Yeah. Anyway, I love you all.


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter delay has been brought to you by: insurance issues, buying a new car, trying to re-negotiate my hours at work, the new semester at college, the weddings of two friends, a really boring filler arc, the (hopefully) temporary death of my computer (I am currently writing this on my sister's laptop...), losing the pen drive containing my backups, and frantically attempting to finish eight or so cosplays in the week before a con. And lots of writer's block. (And then NaNoWriMo hit, and all progress at our house was brought to a halt in favor of "daily wordcount.") On the plus side, I watched a lot of Bleach for inspiration, and therefore got 100% on my Japanese final! So all was not lost.

xx

If he doesn't finish this confrontation quickly, the King might be able to regain control, and all of the hollow's careful planning will have been for nothing.

And then he stops for a moment, his smile returning slowly.

There is more than one way to end a battle. And more than one way to break someone.

xx

Ichigo pounds on the barrier with his fist, knowing his efforts are futile but unwilling to give up. He has tried everything he can think of, but the hollow's plan seems foolproof; the barrier remains undamaged, no matter what he attempts. He punches the wall once more, then drops his hand, leaning against the wall with a sigh of desperation. He can feel the wrongness fizzing against his skin like static, but all he can think of is her. Rukia...

Biting his lip, he glances again at the pictures playing across the screen before him. A sudden movement catches his eye-Shirayuki slices the air, ice crystals glimmering in her wake-and he flinches, grimacing as flashes of the hollow's consciousness flicker across his mind. Half-formed words whisper in his ears; he can't quite make out what is being said, but the voices are unmistakeable.

_It's always like this, _he thinks, self-hatred echoing through his mind. _I always try to save her, but somehow I can never seem to... I always need someone else's help. Ishida, Inoue, Chad, Renji, Ganju, Hanatarou... None of them are here now, and even if they were, what would they do? There's no one who can help me now..._

And then he stops, looking up at the scene before him as an idea begins to form in his mind. There _is _someone here who can help him...

All he has to do now is wait for her to give him a chance.

Stepping back, he watches the hollow swing Zangetsu toward Rukia; she brings up her blade to block the strike, grimacing with the effort of holding him back. The hollow leans forward, smiling at her, then shoves her backward against the curb. Ichigo winces as she stumbles, then gasps as the hollow vanishes from the scene. Ichigo surges forward, intent on warning her, then realizes how foolish he is acting. It's not as if she can hear him...

The hollow reappears behind her, and Ichigo's eyes widen as she spins, releasing one of her binding spells before the hollow has a chance to react. Ichigo's heart starts pounding; this could be just the chance he's been waiting for...

Rukia walks toward the hollow; Ichigo cannot hear the words he says, watching intently as she reaches up to touch the hollow's face-his own face-and he knows that now is the time to strike.

He draws Zangetsu and walks forward; he lunges, burying the blade deep into the barrier as his own name reverberates around him.

The hollow's smile has faltered, and Ichigo thinks he knows why. If Zangetsu links the two of them, then the hollow isn't the only one who can use that link.

Smiling grimly, he concentrates on Rukia. Her face, her voice; the way she can always cheer him up, the way she knows when he needs to be alone; the way he needs to help her, to protect her, and the way she lets him help even when she doesn't need it; the feelings he has when he looks at her-respect, pride, hope, peace, _love-_-

The moment passes, and he is left gasping from the intensity of his feelings for her. Why hadn't he realized before how much she meant to him?

Ichigo bites his lip and pushes this to the back of his mind. When he gets out of here-when he saves her-he will have time to reconsider this. Now, however, all he can afford to think of is regaining control.

Shoving the blade deeper into the pool, he focuses all his power upon his own body, willing it to move under his own commands. And slowly, so slowly, he opens his own eyes...

xx

The hollow shakes himself out of his thoughts, careful to keep the smile off his face. He feels the King beginning to retake their body, little by little, but the hollow has a new plan, one that no longer hinges on maintaining complete control. In fact, this is exactly what the hollow wants.

Rukia still stands before them, but her hands on their face have begun trembling with fatigue. The hollow feels a rush of elation; this battle should be over soon, one way or another. And he is determined to end it in his favor.

The hollow feels the pressure building in his mind, and knows that the King is beginning to regain control. It's time to set his plan into action.

He closes their eyes...

And Ichigo opens them.

xx

Rukia gasps as the hollow's reiatsu pulses around her, jagged and sickening. Her breath catches as the pressure builds, but she is beginning to sense something else beneath the crushing strength; Ichigo's reiatsu is rising rapidly, and she can feel it begin to overpower the sensation holding her in place. Her eyes flick upward, and hope rises within her chest with dizzying rapidity. The black is receding from Ichigo's eyes.

Her lips part in wonder as the yellow darkens to familiar brown, as the smirk fades from his face. And although she can still feel the hollow's presence, the person standing before her is unmistakably Ichigo.

He blinks once, twice, then looks down at her. His eyes widen, and a sudden blush spreads across his cheeks as he realizes how close the two of them are standing. Rukia's smile turns to a grin; yes, this is definitely him.

Ichigo begins to speak, voice cracking, then clears his throat and tries again. "Ano, Rukia... could you, um, drop the spell, please?"

Startled, Rukia pulls her hands off his face; her own cheeks begin to burn. Stepping away from him, she releases the reiatsu binding him in place, swaying slightly as her exertion begins to catch up with her. Within moments, Ichigo is there to support her, preventing her from falling. She clutches his arm for a moment, then regains her balance and lets go. Silence falls for a moment, the two shinigami carefully refusing to look at each other.

Ichigo is the first to speak. "Rukia, I..." he begins, then bites his lip. "I don't..."

And then he gasps, hand flying to his head as the hollow's reiatsu flares again. He backs into the nearest wall, doubling over as if in pain; Rukia looks up at him and gasps, horror building within her as bits of bone begin to creep across the left side of Ichigo's face.

She takes a hesitant step toward him, unsure of what she can do to help. Her reiatsu is severely depleted, and exhaustion is beginning to set in; she doubts she will be able to raise her sword for much longer. And she doesn't know how long she can stand to fight against the hollow while he wears Ichigo's face.

His body tenses; heartsick, she draws her sword once again as he turns toward her. Moving with astonishing speed, he readjusts his grip on Zangetsu's hilt and swings the blade toward her. She blocks the blow, but the force behind it throws her backward and she lands hard on the pavement, the breath knocked from her lungs. He slashes again, and she barely manages to block in time, raising her sword above her head. He presses down and she tries to maintain her grip on Shirayuki's hilt, but her wrist gives way and the sword falls from her grasp, landing on the ground beside her as Zangetsu's tip slices deep into her arm. Rukia gasps at the bite of cold steel; her vision wavers, but she can still see Ichigo-_no, this isn't him, he would never want this_-withdraw his sword. A feral smile spreads across his face, and the hollow swings Ichigo's blade toward her unprotected throat. Rukia tries to roll away from him, but her strength is spent. Steeling herself, she closes her eyes, waiting for the kiss of the blade as the hollow ends her life.

It doesn't come.

Her eyes open and she blinks, clearing her vision. Zangetsu is mere inches from her throat. Her gaze travels up the blade to its wielder, and she gasps. Ichigo is once again fighting for dominance, his fingers curled around the mask that has formed over his features. As she watches, transfixed, the mask begins to crumble, dissolving in the wind as Ichigo pulls it free. As soon as the last fragments dissipate, Ichigo drops to his knees. Rukia pushes herself up, ignoring the pain in her injured arm and shoulder, and crawls over to his side.

Ichigo is breathing hard, and the battle is still raging in his eyes; the left one is almost completely black, and the iris is fading to yellow. Reaching up, Rukia grabs his shoulders and pulls herself up so they are face-to-face. She bites her lip, then forces herself to speak.

"Ichigo, I know you can do this. I know you can win! I believe in you..."

He turns toward her, and her voice trails off. His face is pained, his eyes despairing as he looks at her and lifts his right arm toward her, Zangetsu clutched firmly in his hand.

"Rukia, please. I'm begging you... Kill me. It's the only way you can stop him for good."

xx

I really thought I would be able to end it in this chapter.

Next one will be the last.

Definitely.

I hope...


	6. Chapter 6

Well, it's only been six months this time... At least that's better than seven...

And here we are with another birthday update, for both the real Ichigo and my own Ichigo, who has been feeling rather left out lately, as I spent our last convention flirting with Renji and Hanatarou. (Not to mention Hitsugaya...) But she says that this fic is now "100 percent Ichigo-approved. Or was it Hichigo-approved? I can't remember now... :3"

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Abra Cadaverous, for dedicating a chapter of Bleached Love to me, writing a lot of good Hichiruki, then asking politely if I was planning on updating soon. Thanks for kicking my brain back into gear!

Again, sorry for my extreme lateness. I'm trying to kick my procrastination habit, but I just keep putting it off...

(I'm also trying to kick the habit of ending everything in ellipses, but failing...)

xx

"Rukia, please. I'm begging you... Kill me. It's the only way you can stop him for good."

xx

Rukia is stunned, staring blankly at Ichigo as he gasps in pain, hand flying to his temple, fingernails digging into his flesh. For a moment, his words are incomprehensible to her, washing across her as if they are nothing more than noise. But then he speaks again, and sickness rises within her with every word she hears.

"If I stay like this, he'll just take control again. He'll just hurt you again... Rukia, I couldn't stand that! Knowing that he's torturing you, and I can't stop him..." His voice breaks, and he looks away from her.

"Rukia-"

"I can't," she whispers, the words almost inaudible, even to her own ears.

He drops Zangetsu as his hands slide up her arms to her shoulders, and she gasps in pain as he brushes past the still-bleeding wound. He breathes in sharply, whispering an apology as his hands come to rest on her collarbone, wonderfully warm and comforting even now. She can't stand to look at him, to see the despair in his eyes.

"You have to, Rukia! You're the only one who can do it..."

"I _can't_!" she whispers again, the words choking her. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but for a moment she can smell rain and leaves, and the weight on her shoulder is that of another man she once loved, and the blood trickling down her arm is _his_, warm and wet...

She gasps, forcing her mind back to the present, trying to ignore the voice she remembers so clearly, even now. _Especially _now.

"Come on, Rukia, I know you can..."

"No, Ichigo..." she says, her voice slightly louder as she raises her head. "Ichigo, I can't kill you, I could _never _kill you, I'd rather die..."

Her voice cuts off as her eyes meet _his_; as his hands tighten, sliding closer to her neck; as his mouth curves upward into a smirk, and he leans in to whisper in her ear.

"After all, it wouldn't be the first time you killed the man you loved, would it, Rukia-_chan_?"

xx

Ichigo screams in frustration, in fear, in _hatred _as the hollow overpowers him again, shoving him back into his own inner world. He lands hard on the side of a building but hardly feels the pain, furious at himself for not being able to stay in control of his own body. For being so _weak_.

He gets to his feet, trying to figure out where he is, and spots the flagpole a few buildings away. Cursing, he runs over to it; without the pool, he has no idea what is going on outside, what it might be doing to Rukia in his absence.

And then he hears the hollow's laughter echoing across the buildings.

"Ain't you watching this, King? After all, Rukia-chan's been tryin' to talk to you..."

He jumps, lands on the next building and runs to the edge. And as he turns toward the final building, the pool comes into view, and he gasps in horror.

The hollow is swinging his blade toward Rukia's neck, and Rukia is making no move to block it.

Lunging for the barrier, Ichigo presses himself against it, trying with all his might to force himself back into control, but he knows it won't be enough. This time, he won't be able to stop the blow...

The scene in front of him has stilled, and he looks up, dreading what he's about to see.

For a moment, all he can focus on is the blood trickling down Rukia's pale throat, but then a movement across from her catches his eye, and he turns.

The hollow's mask is _dissolving_.

All Ichigo can do is stare at it. He knows that he didn't make it in time to stop the attack, so why...

The answer comes in a flash of horrified realization, as the hollow drops to its knees and Rukia pulls herself toward it, sickening laughter echoing in Ichigo's ears.

He is doing this to get to _her_.

And right now, there's nothing Ichigo can do about it.

He walks closer to the pool, a sick feeling rising in him as the hollow's words reach his ears. "He'll just hurt you again... and I can't stop him..."

Ichigo hadn't really realized before now just how closely he and his hollow are connected. But now, as he hears the hollow speak the words Ichigo himself has been dying to say to Rukia, the point is driven painfully home. He and the hollow had once been one and the same, and so the hollow knows Ichigo better even than Ichigo knows himself...

However, Ichigo has only moments to contemplate this new insight before something else catches his attention. The hollow is leaning closer to Rukia, whispering to her, and Ichigo is stunned by the despair on her face. Rukia doesn't show emotion; it's just a part of who she is, the Kuchiki mask she shares with her noble brother. And as he watches her whisper to "Ichigo", he feels a momentary, irrational jealousy at his hollow, who has gotten Rukia to show more of herself than she's ever shown to him...

A moment later he looks down, utterly disgusted with himself. _It's no wonder I can't defeat him, if I'm _this _weak..._

And then the hollow's next words, laced with vile amusement, echo loudly into the silence.

"After all, it wouldn't be the first time you killed the man you loved..."

A wave of sudden rage fills Ichigo as he hears this. How _dare _the hollow mention Shiba Kaien! Ichigo knows very well that this is the one piece of Rukia he's never been able to reach; the reason she still blames herself for twisting Ichigo's destiny; the reason she was willing to walk quietly away to her death one lonely, rainy night...

And the rage is doused with cold horror as he realizes what the hollow is doing. Just as the hollow knows exactly what Ichigo wants to say to her, it also knows the one thing to say that will hurt her more than any other.

Heartsick, he lowers himself to the ground, trying desperately to block out the laughter ringing in his ears. He needs to end this somehow, before it manages to break her for good...

And so he begins to gather every shred of reiatsu he can find, compressing it in preparation for his final blow. He can only hope it will be enough.

xx

Rukia's eyes widen at his words, her mouth open in a silent cry, and all she can think is_ it's happening again_. His voice is ringing in her head, drowning out thought. Dimly, she registers that he is moving closer, but she finds herself unable to move, Ichigo's face replaced with Kaien-dono's.

_Did you call me, little girl? Do you love me that much? In that case, I'll eat you first..._

But this time is somehow worse, because this is so much more _personal_. Metastacia had only wanted to eat a shinigami, any shinigami, and had possessed Kaien-dono in an attempt to devour him. This hollow, however... He's been targeting _her _specifically, all along. And Kaien-dono himself had never been as close to her as Ichigo is; he had been her mentor, but Ichigo is her _partner_, could be _more _than that... and she shies away from this thought, biting her lip painfully in an attempt to bring herself back into the present. She _will _find another way this time...

Forcing herself to ignore the part of her that wants to just give up, she takes her memories and shoves them to the back of her mind, covering them in a layer of ice to keep them from breaking free, and as she does, the scene before her comes into clearer focus. Ichigo's hands are still on her shoulders, but the hollow's grip has changed; instead of holding her upright, he-_no, the hollow is an _it_, not a _he_, not Ichigo_-is now pushing her to the ground, leaning over her with a smug, twisted smile spreading across Ichigo's face.

"You'd rather die, Rukia-chan?"

Rukia forces herself to look into its eyes, her expression full of defiance she can barely feel.

"I would. But it's not going to come to that, because Ichigo is going to _defeat _you," she says, glaring up at him. She is bluffing, and they both know it, but her words still ring true because she will _never _stop believing in Ichigo. The hollow's smirk fades slightly, and his eyes on hers grow colder.

"Then I'll just have to make you _beg _for death."

His movements so swift she can barely track them, he releases her, then grabs her hands from where they are still resting on his shoulders and pins them above her head with one of Ichigo's hands. The other traces down her face, coming to rest on her neck; his thumb swipes across the shallow cut, smearing blood across her skin, then pushes hard against her windpipe. Rukia chokes, gasping for air, and the hollow's smile reasserts itself as he-_it-_-leans closer, its expression promising something that she doesn't even want to _think _about.

"But first, I think I'm going to enjoy myself a little, Rukia-chan. After all, I _am _a hollow, and I've always wondered exactly how good a shinigami tastes..."

xx

I think we all know what he means by that... *evil smile*.

However, as I can't even read lemons, I don't think I'm going to be writing one anytime soon... so dear Hichigo won't go too far.

Still, I hope you enjoy the next chapter. It will definitely be out by September 30, as long as I don't die by then. See you!

(...can you believe I originally intended this story to be only two chapters long?)


	7. Chapter 7

Aaaaand here's the FINAL chapter, just as promised! On a related note, when I killed a couple of hollows this morning, the gates of Hell appeared... and I think they were frozen shut. Somehow, I don't think this was Shirayuki's fault...

In order to get this chapter out in time, I was forced to enlist my little sister by telling her "Hey, I need your help writing near smut!"

...That sounds sooo wrong. She's only 18 months younger than me, I swear!

(And while I usually have my professional-writer mother critique my stories, I didn't ask her to look over this chapter. I'm sure you'll see why soon...)

xx

His movements so swift she can barely track them, he releases her, then grabs her hands from where they are still resting on his shoulders and pins them above her head with one of Ichigo's hands. The other traces down her face, coming to rest on her neck; his thumb swipes across the shallow cut, smearing blood across her skin, then pushes hard against her windpipe. Rukia chokes, gasping for air, and the hollow's smile reasserts itself as he-_it-_-leans closer, its expression promising something that she doesn't even want to _think _about.

"But first, I think I'm going to enjoy myself a little, Rukia-chan. After all, I _am _a hollow, and I've always wondered exactly how good a shinigami tastes..."

xx

The hollow raises his thumb to his mouth and slowly licks Rukia's blood from it, smirking as he feels her shift beneath him. She's trying to gain enough leverage to force him off, but they're both aware it's a losing battle; between the blood loss and all the reiatsu she's used, she's no longer strong enough to defeat him. They also know that she'll never stop trying, but to him, this just makes his victory taste all the sweeter.

Bracing himself against the concrete and leaning in, he traces his nose gently against her collarbone, feeling the soft fabric of her kosode against his cheek. He then moves his head upward along her skin, gently teasing her neck with warm breaths until he reaches her ear, trailing his tongue across the lobe. She flinches, hissing something under her breath that he ignores, then shifts her leg again in an attempt to force him off to the side. Rolling his eyes, the hollow shifts his own weight, pinning her more securely beneath him and smirking at her indignant exclamation, then brushes his lips softly against her cheek, drawing circles on her neck with a lazy finger.

He thinks that he'll take things slow, for now. After all, he has plenty of time.

xx

Rukia bites her lip, trying as hard as she can to stop focusing on the sensation of the hollow pressing Ichigo's body against her own. She's finding it harder now to keep the two of them separate. Up until now, the hollow has been rough, forceful, intent on causing her pain... but now his hand on her neck is soft and gentle, his movements almost hesitant. It's just how she imagines Ichigo would be, cautious and careful and quiet, and she's having a hard time associating this sensation with the creature who tried to kill her tonight.

She feels his breath against her skin and bites harder, desperate to ignore the warmth he's generating. Gritting her teeth, she attempts to twist her body to the side, but only succeeds in moving her hips against him. He makes an appreciative sound at this; her cheeks begin to burn and she glares, hearing him chuckle softly at her response. Unlike the warped laughter from earlier, it sounds almost exactly like Ichigo himself, and Rukia can feel her determination begin to waver.

Her breath hitches slightly as he leans in again, his lips barely brushing her forehead, then her eyelids._ Why is he doing this! _She expected violence, pain, harsh words and harsher actions, not this... _intimacy_. She feels like she missed a step going down a flight of stairs and is now suspended in midair, dreading the moment when she comes crashing down to earth again, breaking bones and spilling blood.

His lips press lightly against her own now and she flinches, opening her eyes in shock. Ichi-no, the _hollow-_-lingers for a moment, then raises his head, eyes closed and mouth curved in a wry smile. She is breathless for a moment; he looks so like Ichigo at this moment that if she didn't know better, she would swear he had regained control. But as she gazes up at his face, his eyes open slightly, and she sees the telltale glitter of yellow under the lids, jolting her back to reality. Panic rising in her, she tenses her arms, then jerks them upward in an attempt to break free from his hand. His grip loosens slightly, but he leans forward farther and brings his weight onto her wrists. Rukia gasps in pain as her thin bones grind against the pavement, threatening to crack beneath him. The hollow is still smiling at her, still looking far too much like Ichigo, but his eyes burn into her own.

He shoves down again on her wrists for a moment, then releases the pressure as she looks away from him, tears rising in the corners of her eyes from pain and fury. She blinks them back, refusing to show weakness. His smile twists, and he leans in and brushes his lips across hers again, light and teasing. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath, trying to regain her center, but her concentration is shattered as she feels his hand move from its resting place on her neck, trailing down the collar of her kosode and pushing the cloth aside. Horrified, her eyes fly open, but all she can see is a close-up of his face as he kisses her again, pressing a little harder this time, and his hand is brushing her chest wrap and she just can't _stand _it any more. She closes her eyes, takes a deep, shuddering breath, twists her head to the side and _screams_.

xx

Ichigo is sitting cross-legged in front of the mirror, eyes closed. He has no idea how long he's been here, trying to gather and focus his reiatsu, but he knows it's taking too long; every minute he's stuck in here is another minute his hollow is free to do as it pleases.

Breathing deeply, he tries to remember everything Rukia ever told him about reiatsu control, but thinking of her only increases his anxiety. He hasn't dared to check on the outside scene, knowing that the hollow is using Rukia to get to him. Checking on her is just what the hollow expects him to do, so it stands to reason that the hollow is currently doing _something _to disturb Ichigo and make him lose his concentration out of fear for Rukia.

The implications of this thought are sickening.

Biting his lip, Ichigo tries desperately _not _to think of Rukia. Searching through his memories, he finally comes across something that might be useful; Ganju's advice, when they had been trying to create cannonballs to break into Seireitei and save Rukia-

_Don't think of her!_

He breathes out slowly, trying to envision a heavy black circle, gathering his reiatsu into it and compressing it. To his surprise, it seems to be working; he can sense the energy flowing into him, making him stronger. Heartened by this, he begins shaping it, trying to create a weapon strong enough to break free of the hollow's control. He can _feel _the reiatsu forming into a katana, thin and black, and smiles grimly. _Of course I would use Tensa Zangetsu._

Growing more confident, he opens his eyes to inspect the blade he's created; it's a perfect replica of Zangetsu. Concentrating, he turns and slashes downward, calling out "Getsuga Tenshou!", and is pleased to see the familiar crescent-shaped attack shoot across his mental landscape. Anticipation growing in him, he turns back toward the mirror, closing his eyes again...

A flash of some undefinable emotion sears across his senses for a moment. He gasps, nearly dropping his sword, and falls to his knees. The feeling comes again, stronger this time, and Ichigo feels a growing sense of dread as the sensation becomes clearer.

_Desire._

Before he can stop himself, Ichigo opens his eyes and looks up at the reflection in the pool, horrified at what he sees there.

The sword slips from his unfeeling fingers, dissolving before it hits the ground.

xx

The hollow moans softly, a wide grin spreading across his face as the girl beneath him screams, the sound reverberating through _his _body and leaving him nearly breathless. He licks his lips slowly, savoring the taste of her skin that lingers on them. He's beginning to think that normal hollows _do _have a point; this shinigami is indeed the best thing he's ever tasted.

He can feel her beneath him, fear and anger making her breathing ragged, and closes his eyes for a moment to savor the sensation of her chest moving against his. Idly, he wonders _why _he's finding so much pleasure in this; is it just his hollow instinct that's driving him now, or is it something left over from Ichigo that makes him more human than the rest?

In the back of his mind, he senses the King's feeble attempt to gather his reiatsu; his smile twists, and he leans toward the King's girl again, determined to break his concentration. There's no way either one of them can fight against him any longer.

He grasps the collar of her kosode again, tugging it gently until the gap of her neckline widens. Her eyes are closed and she seems to be trying to block him out, but she still flinches away from his touch as rough fingers brush against her skin. He slides his hand across her bound chest and down her side, pushing the fabric aside, then reaches up and grasps her chin, turning her face back toward him. Leaning in closer, he presses his lips against hers again, tracing them with his tongue. Her mouth remains closed tight, but her breath hitches slightly. Smirking against her mouth, he pushes almost hard enough to bruise for a moment, then starts to trail light kisses down to her collarbone. He pauses for a moment, then bites her skin, sucking on it to leave a bruise. She gasps, outraged, and her eyes fly open; pulling back, he gives her a wicked smile, then dips his head suddenly and licks the cut across her throat, enjoying the warmth of her blood on his tongue.

He thinks he's had enough playtime. Now, finally, she's going to learn what it feels like to have someone else be in control.

xx

Rukia tries desperately to ignore the hollow's movements, knowing that her only chance is to catch him off-guard while he's... preoccupied. She shivers at the touch of fingers on her bare waist, then forces herself to ignore that as well. She knows her options are limited, but she can't just give up; it's in her nature to keep fighting for those she cares about, no matter what happens to her.

She flexes her wrists gently, trying not to attract the hollow's attention as she tests her range of movement. If she can just immobilize him for a moment, she thinks she might be able to escape. What she'll do then, she isn't sure, but she has to _try_.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, she begins quietly gathering reiatsu into her hands. The hollow doesn't seem to notice; it kisses her again, harder than before, and she flinches for a moment before regaining control of herself. She feels her hands beginning to grow cooler as her reiatsu solidifies, and the sensation calms her. A sudden sharp pain on her neck nearly shatters her concentration; her eyes fly open, but she forces her reiatsu to remain steady. She sees the hollow above her, smirking; he no longer looks so much like Ichigo, and this knowledge helps harden her resolve. His head dips toward her throat and she feels another jolt of pain, but ignores it. It's almost time to strike...

She opens her mouth slightly and begins to mouth the words for a binding spell, but before she can finish, the hollow's mouth is on hers again, his tongue slipping between her parted lips. Her mouth fills with the heavy, metallic taste of her own blood and she gasps, almost losing her hold on the reiatsu she has gathered. Narrowing her eyes, she tries to bite him, but he pulls away just in time. His eyes staring into her own, he begins to speak for the first time since the assault began.

"Still fighting back, eh, Rukia-chan? I'm glad, this wouldn't be nearly as much fun otherwise..."

_Now_!

Rukia twists her wrists so she is pointing directly at the hollow and yells the incantation. "Bakudou no ichi: sai!"

The hand that has been holding her down is whipped behind his back; the other is forced off her face, and the hollow, unbalanced, falls to the side. Forcing her tired body to work, Rukia twists away from him and pushes herself to a standing position.

She considers going for her sword but decides against it; in her current state, she's unsure whether she would even be able to raise Shirayuki. She knows no one will be coming to help her, or they would have been here long ago. Her only hope is for Ichigo to regain control, but all her attempts to help him have come to naught. For a moment, she even considers giving up, but she's incapable of doing so. Even though the odds against her seem insurmountable, she'll keep fighting until everything is over.

Until Ichigo regains control, or until she dies.

She refuses to think of which possibility is more likely.

She turns back toward Ichigo's body, staggering slightly as she calls up more reiatsu from her depleted reserves. The hollow is on his knees, fighting against her bonds, and she feels the spell starting to break. Quickly, before he can free himself, she calls a burst of power into her outstretched hands and yells, "Bakudou no yon: hainawa!" The new spell takes effect, wrapping around him in sizzling yellow lines, and he topples back onto his side. Her breathing rough and unsteady, Rukia walks over to him and crouches down, placing one hand on his shoulder and looking into his eyes. She pauses for a moment, then begins to speak, hoping with all her heart that Ichigo can hear her.

"Ichigo, no matter what happens to me, you have to win this! It's my fault this is happening, I can't let him destroy you... I know you can win this, I believe in you!" She drops to her knees, hesitating for a moment, then leans in and gently presses her lips against his.

"I love you..."

The hollow's eyes flash dangerously and, with a surge of dark, tainted power, he snaps the ropes holding him immobile and backhands her across the pavement. She lands hard, unable to break her fall, and gasps for air as the hollow comes for her again, a twisted smile across his face. Grabbing her arms, he turns and pins her against the side of a building, sliding the fabric of her kosode from her shoulders and pressing his body against hers. His mouth sears over hers, hard and bruising. One hand slides around her neck, holding her against the rough bricks, while the other slips under her chest wrap and kneads the soft flesh beneath...

xx

Ichigo lunges at the mirror, pounding on it as though he could break through if he tried hard enough. "You bastard!" he yells, sickened by what the hollow has been doing. The barrier stings his hands as he pushes against it, frantically trying to regain control of his own body. Malicious laughter echoes around him; he punches the mirror once more, then sinks to his knees, trying not to look at the scene before him.

_This is my fault, _he thinks_. I'm not strong enough, and now she's suffering because of me._

Closing his eyes, Ichigo takes a deep, calming breath. His only hope now-_Rukia's _only hope-is to defeat the hollow before it destroys them both. He concentrates on his reiatsu again, but the feeling eludes him as his mind keeps returning to what he saw in the mirror. Reopening his eyes, he yells "Dammit!" and punches the barrier again, ignoring the pain in his knuckles.

There is a flash in the mirror, and before he can stop himself, he looks up to see what caused it. His eyes widen in shock; Rukia has used another binding spell on the hollow, and she's now crouching down before him, touching him gently on the shoulder. Ichigo strains his ears, knowing that she is trying to reach through and help him again.

_"Ichigo, no matter what happens to me, you have to win this! It's my fault this is happening, I can't let him destroy you... I know you can win this, I believe in you!"_

He clenches his fists. _Baka! Why does she always have to blame herself!_

Once again, she's willing to give herself up to save him.

Except this time, he isn't doomed to lie on the ground, cold and bleeding, while she goes off to her death. This time, he will be strong enough to save her.

His eyes begin to glow an eerie shade of blue as the power builds within him. He begins focusing his reiatsu again, and it comes far more easily than before. He gathers it together, shaping it into the familiar black blade, and _strikes_.

The blade passes effortlessly through the mirror.

xx

The hollow laughs.

xx

Rukia has long since closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling as the hollow's hands move across her skin, stripping away her clothing and marking her flesh. She doesn't flinch as his mouth trails down her body, leaving bite marks on her shoulders, chest, waist. She knows she's going to die, but this is nothing new to her. After all, she's already dead, isn't she?

She freezes her thoughts, her emotions, refusing to give the hollow what he wants from her. She becomes like a block of ice, cold and unfeeling. Her only regret is that she'll never have a chance to tell Ichigo just what he means to her...

_Everything stops._

For a moment, Rukia thinks she must have died. But if so, why does her body still ache? Why can she still feel the blood trickling, warm and wet, from her wounds?

Why can she still feel Ichigo's body pressed against hers?

Her eyes flutter open to see the hollow's face inches from her own, but she doesn't have the strength to pull away. She simply looks into his eyes, fearless and calm. And he laughs.

"Thanks for the fun, Rukia-_chan_. It's about time for me to go, but don't worry... we'll play again soon, I promise."

Her eyes widen as the golden light fades and a wave of pain flashes through her body.

xx

Ichigo gasps, the blue fading from his eyes as his inner world dissolves around him. He can suddenly feel the chill night air against his skin, and he's having trouble adjusting to the darkness pressing around him.

_I... won?_

He is exhausted from the effort of breaking free, his body trembling as his muscles protest the sudden strain upon them. Breathing hard, he gathers his remaining strength and looks up toward Rukia, afraid of what he'll see.

And gasps, horrified, as he sees that his blade-the blade he summoned to break free from the hollow's control-is buried deep into her shoulder.

His eyes travel across her battered body, noting dimly that she is half-naked, that her skin is covered in bruises and streaks of blood. Heartsick, he raises his head, looking up at her face.

She smiles gently, her eyes soft and warm, and whispers, "I'm glad you're back... Ichigo."

Gasping, he wrenches the sword from her flesh, tossing it aside and catching her as she begins to fall. He lowers her to the ground, then grabs her kosode and drapes it carefully over her shoulders. "I'll take you to Urahara's," he says, gently lifting her into a bridal carry. She nods, then cries out softly in pain as he jars her injured shoulder. He hisses an apology at her and turns to leave, but is stopped by her whispered "wait."

Her hand clutches at the neck of his kosode as she tries to pull herself closer to him, but her strength gives out and she lets go, arm falling to her side. Grimacing, she begins to speak again; he leans closer, straining to catch her faint voice.

"He said... he said he'll be back, soon. It's not over, Ichigo..."

As the meaning behind her words begins to seep into him like poison, she goes limp in his arms.

xx

AND WE'RE DONE! For now...

I am planning on a sequel, but we all know by now how quickly I write, so I am making no promises as to when you'll get to read it. Just know that it WILL be on here eventually.

And I'm starting to hate Ichigo now. Hichigo and Rukia are perfectly willing to give me ideas, but when it gets to Ichigo, he's just like, "How about you write an entire scene where nothing happens but me sitting on the floor gathering my reiatsu? That sounds perfect to me!" and I have to smack him until he gets back to the story. What a jerk.

Thank you all so much for your encouragement along the way, I love you all! If you'd like to leave a final review for me, I'd appreciate it tons, especially since today's my birthday. ^^ Hope you like your present! (Yes, this is why I set the 30th as my deadline. Lame? Yes. Do I care? No.)

And I'm now off to BleachExile, to keep refreshing until Fade To Black is posted. (Which may take a few days... I'm sure my boss will understand, right?)


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